Awareness and Use of Herbal Medicine among UK Osteopaths
Item
- Title
- Awareness and Use of Herbal Medicine among UK Osteopaths
- Author(s)
- Blum Heidi
- Abstract
- Objectives: To explore the awareness and use of herbal medicine among UK osteopaths. Knowledge and recommendation habits, inter-professional awareness, referral habits and attitudes to familiarisation training were explored. Methods: 200 UK osteopaths, chosen at random from the GOsC register were invited by post to participate in the questionnaire study. Data was analysed in SPSS with Mann Withney U, Spearman’s Rho and Chi square tests as appropriate. Results: Response rate was (41%) n=82. Most subjects were BSO graduates. Median time in practice was 10-20 years. 100% were aware of herbal medicine and 87% were aware of the profession “medical herbalist”. Confidence in knowledge of side effects, therapeutic effects and drug interaction was low. Recommendation of herbs was rare but most referred patients to herbalists occasionally. Interest in learning about herbal medicine was high (67.9%) but only 42.7% were in favour of including herbal training in the curriculum. Conclusion: Awareness of herbal medicine was found to be high but knowledge regarding safety issues or therapeutic use is poor. The majority are interested to learn more about herbal medicine but most are against inclusion in the curriculum.
- Abstract
- Objectives: To explore the awareness and use of herbal medicine among UK osteopaths. Knowledge and recommendation habits, inter-professional awareness, referral habits and attitudes to familiarisation training were explored. Methods: 200 UK osteopaths, chosen at random from the GOsC register were invited by post to participate in the questionnaire study. Data was analysed in SPSS with Mann Withney U, Spearman’s Rho and Chi square tests as appropriate. Results: Response rate was (41%) n=82. Most subjects were BSO graduates. Median time in practice was 10-20 years. 100% were aware of herbal medicine and 87% were aware of the profession “medical herbalist”. Confidence in knowledge of side effects, therapeutic effects and drug interaction was low. Recommendation of herbs was rare but most referred patients to herbalists occasionally. Interest in learning about herbal medicine was high (67.9%) but only 42.7% were in favour of including herbal training in the curriculum. Conclusion: Awareness of herbal medicine was found to be high but knowledge regarding safety issues or therapeutic use is poor. The majority are interested to learn more about herbal medicine but most are against inclusion in the curriculum.
- presented at
- British School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2010
- Date Submitted
- 31.5.2011 00:00:00
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Pub-Identifier
- 14937
- Inst-Identifier
- 780
- Keywords
- osteopathy, herbal medicine, multidisciplinary, awareness, referral, interactions, side effects, therapeutic effects, curriculum
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Blum Heidi, “Awareness and Use of Herbal Medicine among UK Osteopaths”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 13, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/1815